| I had fescue and it has all died. I want to teal up the yard and replant with something that spreads. I have 70 20 sun shade area around 600 sq feet. What do you recommend and when should I plant it. Plus do I need to treat the soil when I plant. Not sure how to plant a new yard. Thank you so much for your time. Elsie |
| Here's what I would do: Break up the soil with a tiller. Tillers (also called rototillers) can be rented from your local rental center. After tilling, rake out the old grass and roots. Spread a starter fertilizer over the now-loosened soil. This type of fertilizer is high in phosphorus, the middle number in the NPK sequence on a fertilizer bag. Also spread a soil conditioner over the soil. "Soil conditioner" is often what it's called at the store, but if you have a good supply of compost at home, it will serve just as well as a soil amendment. 5Again using the tiller, till the starter fertilizer and soil conditioner (or equivalent) into the soil. I know this seems like a lot of work, but good soil preparation is one key in seeding lawns successfully. Then rake the soil to begin to level it out, removing any rocks and debris that you find. To avoid problems with excess water-runoff, make sure that any site grading you do allows water to flow away from your house. This next step requires a roller. Rollers, like tillers, can be rented from your local rental center. Fill the roller's drum with water, then use the roller to finish leveling the soil. Water the soil lightly. For this step you'll need a seed spreader. Following the recommended seeding rate, spread 1/4 of the seed over the entire lawn area. Then repeat times, each time using 1/4 of the seed. However, each of the 4 times you distribute a load of seed, push the spreader in a different direction, to encourage even dispersal. Rake lightly, so as to cover the seed with a thin layer of soil. For the next step you'll use the roller again. But first you'll empty out the water from the drum, because you want it lighter this time. Now roll the lawn surface. The seeds must be watered properly, in order to germinate. Use just a fine spray, as you don't want to create a flood! The soil should be kept evenly moist, which may mean several waterings per day (depending on the weather). After the grass blades sprout, you'll still need to water a couple of times per day. If you know your schedule won't permit this, now's the time to look into automatic irrigation systems, before starting a new lawn. You can use a mixture of turfgrasses or you can sow bermuda grass seed. Check the seed mixture packages in the garden center. They are especially formulated for your growing region. Good luck with your new lawn! |
